How to Cut Through the Clutter to Find the Perfect Honeymoon Destination

The Cure to Honeymoon Analysis Paralysis

Do you have 89 tabs open in your browser? Can you name the resort just by its bathroom picture alone? Have you checked for flights so often, you now know every airport code by heart, yet you still can’t click and commit on one choice?

Then you may be suffering from Analysis Paralysis.

Often found in engaged couples searching for that perfect, remote (but not too remote), exotic (but not too exotic) honeymoon destination, Analysis Paralysis is when you’ve spent too much time over-researching your options, paralyzing your ability to make that final call.

You spend hours on Yelp and TripAdvisor, digging through mountains of information, yet the conflicting opinions you encounter only increases your anxiety. Are the beds at the resort filled with angels’ wings like Roberta A. from Mobile convincingly stated, or are they filled with angry rocks like Sean O. from Boston reported?

Thankfully, you don’t have to suffer from Analysis Paralysis any longer—we’ve found the cure. It’s not about finding the right information; it’s simply finding a way to make decisions faster and more confidently.

Here are five techniques that could help you whittle down the options and escape the endless circle of research.

Clearly Define Your Honeymoon Goals

Do you want a hike-able mountain right outside your door or a pristine beach without another soul for miles? Do you want be surrounded by head-boppin’ partygoers at 2 a.m. or chilling together in a quiet room? Just as you did with the wedding, pick three or four non-negotiable items as a baseline for all your choices. If a location doesn’t allow you to swim with dolphins or sleep with the windows open to hear the ocean waves, then you can cross it off and feel good about your choice.

Destination List:What are your non-negotiables?

Create a Pros-and-Cons List

Once you’ve created a list of destinations that include your non-negotiables, it’s time to get real. A pros-and-cons list will help you clearly articulate what draws you to each location, making it easier to see which ones will create Facebook posts that make all your friends jelly. A few things to consider as you set priorities:

Can you walk to nearby restaurants and cafés from the hotel?

Is it all-inclusive or European style (where you pay for onsite meals)?

Are the activities you want to do nearby or do they require a full-day excursion?

Does the price prevent you from enjoying additional activities?

Set a Time Limit

You have five minutes to make 10 honeymoon decisions…starting now! Relax, that was only a test. But by setting a hard date, you’ll automatically find yourself efficiently analyzing options and making key decisions.

Just as you had to have the wedding dress selected six months in advance, the resort you’re eyeing will need to be booked six-to-eight months prior to lock in availability and pricing. This ensures you get the room with a view, the table for two on the beach and seats next to each other on the plane, rather than rows apart.

Skip FOMO – the Fear of Missing Out

Instead of focusing on what you won’t do, spend your mental energy getting excited for the final destination you selected. Numerous studies have shown the anticipation of the vacation is just as important as the trip, so start daydreaming now about Lava Flow drinks, buttery croissants or deep sea diving with manta rays. You’ll have plenty of vacations together to check off anything you missed out the first time around.

Remember the Drawbacks

Overanalyzing make us cranky, hungry and less creative! It’s true—spending too much time worrying about the perfect destination could lead to 10 more pounds you’ll need to squeeze into that body-hugging wedding dress and under that perfectly tailored suit.

You still have a job, wedding and life to take care of, so recognize how this one item on your to-do list could be sacrificing happiness in other areas. Consider working with a travel agent, who specializes in taking away travel-planning stress. As all your friends will remind you, “the only thing that truly matters is that you’re together.” Cheesy, yes. Cliché, of course. True, 100%.